They say great wildlife photography is about patience—but sometimes, it’s about instinct. On a still morning drifting along Botswana’s Chobe River, I caught a fleeting moment that would’ve gone unseen by the naked eye: a pied kingfisher mid-blink.
Not a closed eye in rest, but a lightning-fast sweep of its nictitating membrane—a translucent eyelid birds use to protect their vision. For a split second, the sharp, calculating gaze of this riverside hunter softened into something more vulnerable. I clicked the shutter in that sliver of time.
The result? A portrait of duality: alert and still, powerful and delicate.
he photo isolates this moment from the chaos of life on the river. It’s not just a picture of a bird—it’s a quiet break in time, suspended in silver and contrast.
This image, "Flight paused, Vision shielded", is now available as a fine art print, part of the limited-edition series from my print shop. Captured from a photo boat in early light, it’s one of my most personal wildlife encounters to date.
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